Government unveils £15bn Warm Homes Plan with new duties for landlords

The government has finally unveiled its long-awaited Warm Homes Plan, claiming landlords “have a responsibility to ensure homes are safe, warm and affordable.”

The £15 billion plan introduces new protections for renters and aims to tackle fuel poverty by offering grants for upgrades such as solar panels, batteries, heat pumps and insulation.

The government says it will set out more details this year on how consumers will be able to access low-interest loans.

Landlord has a responsibility to ensure home is safe and warm

The government claim more than 1.6 million children living in private accommodation suffer from cold, damp and mould.

In a press release the government say: “We believe a simple principle that if you rent a home, private or social, a landlord has a responsibility to ensure that it is safe, warm, and affordable.

“By updating protections for renters, and supporting landlords to make these upgrades in a fair way over several years, an estimated half a million families will be lifted out of fuel poverty by the end of the decade.”

Under the plans, landlords will be eligible for a £7,500 universal grant for heat pumps, including the first-ever support for air-to-air heat pumps.

The government says low-income families could receive fully funded installations of solar panels and a battery, covering the full average cost, currently estimated at £9,000–£12,000.

In a press release, the government said that for social housing residents this could mean entire streets being upgraded at the same time, lowering bills and improving warmth and comfort across whole neighbourhoods.

Industry reaction to Warm Homes Plan

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), said: “The announcement of a clear roadmap for the reform of PRS MEES is welcome. It gives landlords and those living in the private rented sector some certainty and allows businesses to plan for the future.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our residential housing stock is a significant challenge and we have been pleased to work constructively with the government to find solutions that ensure its ambitions can be delivered.”

Shocking levels of damp and mould

Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Homes are the foundations of our lives but high energy bills and rents force many of us to make heart-wrenching choices between heating and eating, while millions of us are living with shocking levels of mould and damp.

“That’s why it’s so important, both for renters and the climate, that the government is raising the basic insulation and heating standards for rented homes. We look forward to working with the government on giving renters who are eligible for support to improve their home the assurance they need to apply for it.”